Harley Court rolled out as new street name in south Barrie

What’s in a name?

By direct motion Wednesday night, city council renamed a portion of Bryne Drive as Harley Court.

Since 2005, Barrie Harley-Davidson has been located at 311 Bryne Dr.

“With the different trajectory that the street (Bryne) will take, there was a small section of what used to be Bryne Drive that is now needed to be renamed,” said Coun. Gary Harvey. “It was only fitting that as probably the best national brand known on that short stretch of road that it be considered as one of the possibilities.”

By direct motion, 301, 311, 316, 326 and 336 Bryne Dr. will now become 8, 18, 27, 28 and 47 Harley Crt., after the famous motorcycle company.

Only Coun. Amy Courser spoke against the change.

While lauding the community work done by Barrie Harley-Davidson, Courser noted Harley-Davidson is a multi-national brand, with its headquarters located in Milwaukee, Wis.,, its Canadian head office in Toronto and no manufacturing facility in Canada.

“To actually have a multi-national branded street kind of really sits wrong with me, when it’s public property,” she said. “Naming the street Harley (Court) also gives it potentially financial gain if the dealership was ever sold. Part of their branding and advertising is the actual location of the dealership.”

But Coun. Sergio Morales pointed out there is a Blue Jays Way in Toronto, and the Toronto Blue Jays are a for-profit Major League Baseball team owned by a multi-billion-dollar telecommunications company, Rogers.

“Also we have a Ford Street in Ward 4 (which Courser represents). I cannot attest it was named after the Ford Motor Company,” Morales said. “I get it (Courser’s argument), I don’t have the same concerns.”

“I do feel it fits,” said Coun. Ann-Marie Kungl of the name change. “I’m not concerned with the brand carrying outside the Barrie borders.”

Mayor Alex Nuttall pointed out Barrie once had a Molson Park Drive, which was later changed to Mapleview Drive.

Wednesday’s direct motion approved the street name Harley Court and added it to the city’s municipal names registry.

Properties fronting onto the renamed portion of the street will be renumbered accordingly, and costs associated with installation of new street signs, new street number signs for the existing buildings and any fees associated to the changes on systems of third parties will be paid for by the city.

Public consultation for the renaming of this street took place Sept. 18 and the proposed name was circulated to appropriate city departments and external stakeholders, including neighbouring municipalities, for comment. No concerns have been raised regarding the proposed name of "Harley," according to city staff.

The detailed environmental assessment for the Bryne Drive South extension to Harvie Road required a realignment of the existing Bryne Drive, and excluded a portion of the existing Bryne Drive north of Caplan Avenue.

The Bryne Drive South extension will officially open Friday, hooking up Harvie Road to Caplan Avenue.

The southern extension will have four through lanes, two in each direction, a two-way left-turn lane, buffered bike lanes and sidewalks on both sides.

This connection project supports the Harvie Road/Big Bay Point Road crossing over Highway 400, and will improve traffic flow across south Barrie. It will also reduce traffic congestion at the Essa Road and Mapleview Drive interchanges by redirecting east-west traffic to the Harvie Road crossing.

The Bryne Drive South extension is about one-kilometre long and carries a cost of approximately $13.8 million, paid for from development charges and the city’s tax capital reserve. 

Development charges are designed to recover the capital costs associated with residential and non-residential (commercial, industrial, institutional) growth within a municipality from developers, so that existing residents don’t have to foot the bill.

Bryne Drive's northern extension, from Harvie to Essa, is still in the design stage. It’s to be a new five-lane road, with off-road bike lanes and sidewalks, along with a new sanitary sewer, new watermain and new stormwater management ponds. This portion, stretching 800 metres, carries a total project cost of $21.9 million, funded from development charges and taxes.